Excess iron it can result from hereditary factors or poor nutrition, and causes fatigue, depression and irritability. Let's find out better how to cure it.
> 1. Symptoms of excess iron
> 2. The cause
> 3. Excess of iron and power supply
Irritability among the symptoms of excess iron
Symptoms of excess iron
The first signs of excess iron occur in the body when the accumulated iron exceeds about 5 grams. In general, the first disorders of excess iron appear around the age of 40, especially among the male population, which is more predisposed. More rarely they occur already around 20.
Symptoms of excess iron, contrary to what one might think, are often fatigue, depression and irritability. One of the first serious manifestations of excess iron in humans is hypogonadism, which is a typically male hormonal imbalance.
While in women it manifests itself with thyroid dysfunction and the menstrual cycle is altered. Other signs or symptoms characteristic of excess iron are, for example, the so-called "iron fist", or pain in the knuckles of the hand and the base of the thumb.
Excess iron leads to hemochromatosis, a disease that causes damage to some important organs, such as the liver, pancreas and heart.
The symptoms of excess iron are therefore found in: chronic fatigue, pains in limbs, arrhythmias and heart failure or disorders, change in skin color (bronze, ash gray, greenish), irregular or absent menstrual cycle, osteoporosis, impotence or infertility, hair loss, depression and mood swings, up to more serious diseases such as Parkinson's, heart attacks and cancer.
The causes of excess iron
Excess iron can be caused by both hereditary factors and poor nutrition: while the iron contained in plants is more difficult to assimilate, the iron of animal origin is more easily assimilated and can become in excess.
Hemochromatosis it is a disease that usually appears between the ages of 40 and 60 and is due to an excessive presence of iron in the tissues, basically caused by a hereditary disorder.
The origins of the disease are in this case genetic, linked to a defect in the HFE gene, responsible for regulating the absorption of iron taken with food.
The disease can also be caused by heart or pituitary dysfunction. It is becoming clear how this disease is more widespread in Western countries, especially northern Europe and the United States, where the doses of iron artificially added in the foods that are taken daily can exceed the real daily requirement.
Excess of iron and diet
Iron is present in many foods, particularly red meat, bread and cereals. Once absorbed by the body, iron becomes part of hemoglobin, a molecule that binds oxygen and carries it to the tissues to feed them.
Healthy people absorb about 10% of dietary iron; specifically, the intestine is able to absorb between 2 and 10% of the iron supplied by plants and between 10 and 35% of that contained in animal sources.
People with hemochromatosis absorb too much of it, so the body cannot eliminate the excess, and tissue and organ damage is inevitable. To get an adequate intake of iron and decrease the risk of disease, you can follow a healthy diet that includes both fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains., limiting the consumption of meat (especially red meat).
It is much better to consume fresh foods, rather than supplements, because the body cannot take high doses of a certain nutrient, as it will put a strain on the liver, also causing imbalances in other nutrients.
Find out what natural iron supplements are
